In an action apparently violating provisions of the Colorado
Open Meetings Law, Archuleta County commissioners separated the
county building inspection function from the county planning office
during an executive session Jan. 16. At the same time the
commissioners promoted Michael Crofts from building inspector to
building official.

Executive sessions are conducted by public boards when they
want to exclude the public. The Colorado Open Meetings Law contains
specific rules and conditions for conducting executive sessions.
Failure to abide by the rules and conditions contained in the
Colorado Open Meetings Law is a violation punishable by fines and
prison sentences.

The action was apparently taken during an executive session
labeled "personnel" following the regular Jan. 16 commissioner
meeting.

Timing of the action varies according to whose memory is being
tested. The SUN did not learn of the action until Wednesday morning.
A number of telephone calls and a face-to-face talk with Commissioner
Bill Downey followed. Downey could not remember for certain when the
action was taken, but thought it might have been during the Jan. 16
executive session. Downey said it was done by consensus.

Gene Crabtree, chairman of the board of county commissioners
confirmed the change was made and said, twice, that it was done
following the Jan. 16 executive session.

The third commissioner, Alden Ecker said he couldn't remember
for sure, but thought it was done either during the Jan. 16 executive
session or during a workshop that afternoon.

County Manager Dennis Hunt said the action was taken by
consensus during the Jan. 16 executive session when he was directed
by the commissioners to carry out the change.

The minutes for the Jan. 16 meeting were approved by the board
of county commissioners at the beginning of the Jan. 23 meeting. The
minutes read: "Commissioner Downey moved to enter into executive
session at 10:45 a.m. with County Attorney Mary Weiss, the county
manager, the county clerk, the county assessor, and deputy assessor
to discuss legal strategy for the board of assessment appeals lawsuit
and then enter into executive session with commissioners only to
discuss personnel matters. Ecker seconded the motion. Motion carried
unanimously."

The next line of the minutes starts a new paragraph and reads:
"Commissioner Downey moved to adjourn from executive session at 12
p.m. Commissioner Ecker seconded the motion. Motion carried
unanimously. Commissioner Downey moved to adjourn the regular meeting
at 12:01 p.m. Commissioner Ecker seconded the motion. Motion carried
unanimously."

The next line and paragraph reads: "With no further business
coming before the board, the meeting adjourned at 12:01 p.m."

According to the Colorado Open Meetings Law: "No adoption of
any rule, regulation, policy, or position, or formal action shall
occur at any meeting closed to the public."

The commissioners' decisions during the Jan. 16 executive
session regarding the building inspection functions and Croft's
position was clearly a violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Law
according to Steve Zansberg, an attorney representing the Colorado
Press Association.

"From what you have told me it seems there has clearly been a
violation of the law," Zansberg said. "It doesn't matter if you call
it a consensus or what. The law says 'adoption of a policy, position,
or formal action.' "

Even if the commissioners had discussed the matter in executive
session, then returned to open session and voted to carry the matter
out, courts have ruled that "rubber stamping" a decision made in
executive session violates the open meetings law, Zansberg said.

"I can't comment on what did or didn't occur during any
executive session," said County Attorney Weiss.

The change to separate the county building inspection duties
from the county planning office was made because the commissioners
believed the work load on Mike Mollica to be excessive, Commissioner
Crabtree said. Mollica is director of county development. Until the
Jan. 16 change, Mollica was head of the county planning department
and of the building permit department. He remains at the top of the
planning department.

Following the change, the building permit department is a
separate department headed by Crofts. The building department is
seeking an additional inspector.

Corridors, views, wildlife rise
as plan issues

By John M. Motter

A crowd in excess of 250 people crowded into the Pagosa Lakes
Community Center last Saturday to comment on the latest version of a
proposed county master plan.

"I don't know how many people were there, but I know 250 people
signed the registration forms on their way in," said Mike Mollica,
director of county development. "There had to be more people than
that present."

No action to adopt the plan was taken by the Upper San Juan
Regional Planning Commission. That body did conduct a regular meeting
which included the public comment time allotment.

Comment was received on Draft 4, the latest version of a
proposed county master plan that has been more than a year in
development. The meeting lasted from 7 p.m. until almost midnight.
During that span of time, Colorado Division of Wildlife presented
information on wildlife management in the area, a public comment
session concerning the proposed plan was conducted, and the
commission considered renovations to the proposed plan.

"I think we are making good progress at reconciling the
differences represented by the various people in the county," Mollica
said. "When all of this is over, I think we will have a plan
acceptable to most of the people in the county."

Public comments focused primarily on three controversial
elements of the plan: scenic corridors, ridge-top building
restrictions, and wildlife enhancement measures. Widely polarized
opinions concerning those three issues were revealed by the public
comments.

On the one hand are a group of landowners who fear language
recommending preservation of scenic corridors, ridge-top views, and
wildlife habitation and migration routes will detract from the value
of their property by preventing or restricting development of that
property.

On the other hand are a group of people who fear that continued
and unchecked development, especially of scenic corridors,
ridge-tops, and wildlife lands, will seriously compromise the
aesthetic characteristics valued by those living in this area.

"We're putting new language in the plan concerning scenic
corridors - I think that is the main issue," Mollica said. "We were
pretty bold in the beginning when we included maps showing scenic
corridors. We didn't describe specific conditions attached to those
corridors. Now we have taken a step backward. We're inviting input
from those who live along each corridor. Working with them we'll
write the specific details for that specific corridor, things like
building heights and setbacks. That way each scenic corridor will be
defined by the residents. It won't be one solution fits all. If there
is not interest by the residents, we're not going to try to force a
corridor in that locale." The new language is primarily related to
Chapter 5, the land-use and growth-management portion of the
plan.

Development of the community plan has been authorized by the
county commissioners. The process has involved a poll designed to
learn if people of the community want a plan defining community
preferences and goals, a series of public meetings in various parts
of the county, the writing of a community plan, and subsequent
community meetings reviewing continually revised drafts of the plan.
A new draft will follow the most recent meeting.

When a community plan is finally adopted, its nature will be
advisory only. County regulations affecting land use can only be
enacted by the county commissioners.

Ultimately, information compiled in the community plan will be
used in a new county master plan. The Upper San Juan Regional
Planning Commission will next discuss the proposed plan at the
regular Feb. 28 meeting.

County acts to complete
Enhanced 911

By John M. Motter

Steps were taken to hasten completion of Enhanced 911 this year
during a Tuesday afternoon work session involving the county
commissioners, the sheriff's department, and others involved with the
program.

The first steps toward making Enhanced 911 available in
Archuleta County were taken during 1994. Enhanced 911 means that the
dispatch operator will have what amounts to caller ID for emergency
calls. The address of anyone in the county calling the local
emergency number will be known to the dispatcher.

Consequently, if anything happens to interrupt the call before
the caller gives the dispatcher an address, the call can still be
traced and emergency help sent.

The last step making local installation of Enhanced 911
possible was taken last week when Russell Crowley mailed in the
addresses of all telephone owners in Archuleta County to SCC, the
company responsible for compiling the Enhanced 911 database.
Crowley's listing of addresses was made possible by satellite mapping
of the county.

Tuesday's work session involved a telephone conference with Jan
Waring, the president of Nine One One Inc., the company responsible
for adapting local communications equipment in the county dispatch
office so it will handle Emergency 911.

Waring advised the commissioners to write a letter to SCC
asking them to complete their portion of the project by June 1.

"You have to be in their face," Waring said. "Enough is enough.
Your problems are abnormal. Nobody else is going through this (time
delay)."

Commissioners agreed to send the letter.

The local dispatch console will be set up with four trunk lines
and two stations in order to handle Enhanced 911. When changeover
occurs, the several entities involved must coordinate their changes
on one day so that emergency services won't be interrupted.

At the regular Tuesday meeting of Archuleta County
commissioners, the following issues were addressed or acted upon:

- After hearing a request from Albert Lucero that the county
occasionally plow snow from the entrance road to the Three Meadows
Ranch, action was postponed until more information can be obtained.
Lucero asserted the county regularly plows the road to the White
Ranch, also located in the Fawn Gulch area. He said the White Ranch
crosses Three Meadows property and he doesn't see why, if the county
plows to the White Ranch, it doesn't plow to the Three Meadows Ranch
as well. A decision on road ownership and questions on whether the
roads discussed are public or private prompted postponement of any
action until more facts can be learned.

- At an afternoon work session, the commissioners met with
members of the newly formed building inspection department. The
question was posed: "Should the county impose mandatory licensing on
building contractors requiring them to provide the county with proof
of liability insurance and workman's compensation coverage before
being approved for building permits? It was concluded during the
discussion that followed that public meetings will be needed in order
to answer the licensing question.

- Action was tabled concerning a proposal to widen and enhance
Piedra Road between the entrance to Pepper's and U.S. 160. Two plans
are being considered, one costing about $51,000 and the other costing
about $204,000. The discussion was postponed to enable the
commissioners to obtain additional information.

- The commissioners certified a county road report prepared by
road supervisor Kevin Walters for submission to the state in order to
obtain Highway User Tax Funds - about $1.1 million annually.

- A work session with the Pagosa Lakes Property Owner's
Association was scheduled next Tuesday afternoon.

- A proposal is being sought to hire a consultant for
developing a county transit plan.

Stats show moderate crime rate
increase

By Karl Isberg

Statistics released last week showed moderate increases in most
activity levels at the Pagosa Springs Police Department last year,
compared to levels charted in 1999.

Pagosa Springs police officers worked 14,320 hours last year,
spending 7,963 of those hours on patrol and driving 95,069 miles
during patrol duties. In 1999, town officers worked 13,228 hours,
with 7,646 hours on patrol and 97,310 miles on the road.

There were 2,245 calls dispatched to town officers last year,
compared to 1,948 dispatched calls in 1999. Officers made 3,328
on-site calls in 2000 (calls initiated by an officer on patrol),
compared to 3,226 on-site calls the year before.

According to Police Chief Don Volger, his officers maintained a
fairly high closure rate in all but a few categories.

"When I analyzed our year-end statistics," said the chief, "I
found we had 74 incidents of criminal mischief, of which 25 cases
were closed. We had 146 thefts and we closed 57 cases, or 39 percent.
There were 24 reports of burglary and we closed half those cases. Of
10 cases of check fraud or forgery, we closed eight. There were 39
reports of harassment and we closed 33 of those cases for a closure
rate of 85 percent. Of 24 cases of disorderly conduct or disturbance,
we closed 23, and we closed 13 of 22 cases of criminal trespass. We
had 24 assaults last year and we closed 22 of those cases.

"We're addressing the situation well," he said. "Where we don't
have a high closure rates, it's with cases where a suspect is hard to
identify - such as hit and run, or criminal mischief. Otherwise our
people are doing a good job and we continue to work for an even
better performance."

Officers made 19 felony arrests last year, compared to 21
felony arrests in 1999. Misdemeanor arrests were up to 208 from the
previous year's total of 195.

Eleven juveniles were apprehended last year on felony charges
(eight in 1999) and 38 juveniles were apprehended for misdemeanor
offenses compared to 56 the year before.

Last year, town police conducted 878 field interviews, compared
to 1,060 such interviews in 1999. There were 586 written warnings
issued in 2000 (558 the previous year) and 1,652 verbal warnings
issued - down from 2,079 the year before.

Officers' actions led to 547 penalty assessments last year,
compared to 306 in 1999. There were 366 summons issued last year and
342 issued in 1999.

The number of house checks performed by officers in 2000 went
up slightly when compared to the 1999 figure - 241 and 193
respectively - while the number of business checks (5,448) was down
from 6,072 in 1999.

Pagosa Springs officers made 2,562 traffic stops last year,
down from an all-time high of 2,742 in 1999.

The number of parking tickets issued in town went up to 282
from 214, while animal impounds were down to 87 in 2000 from the
previous year's total of 104.

There were 931 reports filed by Pagosa Springs officers last
year. Of those, 103 were felony reports and 493 were misdemeanors.
Forty-nine reports involved injury or death, 133 involved the use of
alcohol, 17 involved weapons, and 12 were cases of domestic
violence.

Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, at
11 a.m. at St. Peter-St. Rosa Catholic Church, with Father John Bowe
officiating. Internment will follow at the Rosa Cemetery.

A complete obituary will be published in next week's SUN.

Inside The Sun

Legion activities coverage nets
award for SUN

Their service to the community and to the
family of American war veterans have produced dozens of SUN stories
in the past year and those efforts led to an award for the
newspaper.

Activities of Mullins-Nickerson American
Legion Post 108 of Pagosa Springs last year included placing flags on
the graves of all veterans in Hilltop Cemetery for all specially
significant national holidays; hosting Veterans Day and Memorial Day
ceremonies both at the Legion Home and in the cemetery; locating,
documenting eligibility and securing and installing headstones for
the unmarked graves of veterans; participating in the annual Red
Ryder 4th of July parade with both a marching color guard and a float
filled with veterans; hosting a special dinner and awards
presentation for veterans of the Korean War; and providing members
whose stories of glories past have filled SUN columns on special
occasions.

The result of those stories and of
additional SUN coverage of events of concern to veterans and their
families led to presentation to the SUN Saturday night at ceremonies
in Longmont of The American Legion 2000 Small Community Newspaper
Media Award.

The plaque states the award is "For your
active support of The American Legion and veterans in the Pagosa
Springs community; for your weekly column devoted to veterans (by
Veterans Service officer Mike Diver); for your extensive coverage of
Veterans Day and Memorial Day events and for your ongoing efforts to
tell the story of American veterans through the pages of The Pagosa
Springs SUN."

The presentation was made at the
Department of Colorado Legion convention by Jeff Luginbuel, state
commander.

Accepting for the SUN was staff writer
Richard Walter. The SUN tied for the small market award with the
newspaper in Estes Park. Other recipients were the Longmont Daily
Times-Call in the daily newspaper medium market and The Denver Post
in large market coverage.

9Health Fair scheduled here
April 7

The Pagosa Springs 2001 9Health Fair is
scheduled for Saturday, April 7, at Pagosa Springs High
School.

Persons interested in participating in
the Pagosa Springs 9Health Fair, as an interactive screener, a
supplemental screener or conducting a learning center must have their
paperwork in Denver for approval no later than the Feb. 15
deadline.

Interested individuals or persons with
questions regarding the 9Health Fair should contact Kathy Conway at
731-5811, Lili Pearson at 731-5159, or 9Health Fair headquarters at
(800) 332-3078 and speak with Kris or Betty. The e-mail address for
9Health Fair is 9hf@9healthfair.org.

Learning centers need to have their
exhibits approved beforehand. Last year several participants turned
in their information or called past the deadline date. According to
Pearson, who is the organizer of the local 9Health Fair, "You do not
want to be one of these participants."

If 9Health Fair in Denver approved you in
2000 and no changes are being made and you would like to participate,
please call Pearson at the phone number listed above. Such contact is
needed in order to plan for the needed space.

"We are always looking for volunteers
both medical and non-medical," Pearson said. Those interested should
call her at 731-5159.

Additional information on Pagosa's 2001
9Health Fair will be forthcoming.

Needy people are not always the
unemployed living off government funding.

Some are hard workers who have run into
problems that are no fault of their own.

They are among those assisted every year
by Archuleta County Social Services.

A key element in that service is the
family advocacy division headed by Isabel Willis.

About three months ago a 1989 Honda Civic
was donated to Social Services by Dick Babillis and his wife, Bonnie
Masters. Willis went to work with a special committee of community
residents to find a worthy recipient for the vehicle.

On Monday morning, keys and title were
presented to Angela Davidson, a mother of three who lives in Aspen
Springs, works for Absolute Travel, and had to find transportation
every day for the 26-mile round trip.

Willis said the committee scrutinized the
needs of several qualified persons and selected Davidson.

Ben Johnson, Pagosa Auto Sales owner,
provided storage for the vehicle during the recipient search period
and donated a set of snow tires to make winter driving easier for
Davidson.

Willis said it has not been widely known
that the Archuleta County Social Services Department has and can
accept public donations of goods which are then distributed to the
persons deemed most in need of the specific item.

The vehicle Davidson is now driving
"needed no repairs. It had been remarkably well-maintained," said
Willis, who lauded Babillis and Masters for their concern for fellow
members of the community.

Letters

Level the field

Dear David,

The Upper San Juan Regional Planning
Commission's meeting on the 24th, seeking public input on the "Scenic
Corridor" portion of the most recent county growth plan drew a large
turn out, which I hope is good news. The old issue of private
property rights was once again the justification for a minority of
large parcel landowners, with the support of the County
Commissioners, attempting to veto this critical provision of the
plan.

A majority of the public comments once
again supported establishment of the corridors and acknowledged that
development and non-development rights are valuable, and that there
should be compensation to an affected landowner. A cooperative effort
to this end was proposed.

This did not seem to solve the problem
for those individuals who spoke at length about "constitutional
rights" about to be violated and state statutes that prevented "the
government" from acting against the individual (?). Listening to
their presentations sounded like some version of the "divine right of
kings." They seem to have forgotten the history of continuing
government subsidies received by "agricultural" land owners, starting
with the original "homestead acts," then subsequent grazing permits
set well below market value that were overgrazed with resulting
destruction of the habitat. Tax subsidies continue today for
agricultural land use. These and others were intended to encourage
agricultural production not personal enrichment.

It is time for the taxing authority to
assess on the full value of the potential development rights in those
areas included in the proposed corridors including the extra costs
for developments that never pay their own way and then tax that
private property at its value for development. Finally, add a premium
to the tax on the acres to be taken out of agricultural production
that would no longer contribute agricultural products into the local
economy. This should help to level the playing field.

Sincerely,

Glenn Bergmann

Welcome sound

Dear Editor,

Twas a cold, snowy night and all through
the house/ Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse./ When out
in the road there arose such a clatter/ I sprang from my bed to see
what was the matter./ When what to my grateful eyes should appear/
But a great big snowplow - a sight we hold dear!/ Its sound is quite
welcome, morning, noon or night,/ To rescue us poor folk from our
snowbound plight./ The valiant snowplows come through in a pinch/ And
everyone's thankful - except for a grinch.

Ken and Jan Brookshier

Duke's picture

Dear Editor,

I am looking for a picture from the June
3, 1971 issue. It was on the front page and it was of Bill Gallant
and John Wayne taken during the filming of the Cowboys. If there is a
way I could get an original or an electronic file, I would greatly
appreciate it! Just let me know what the costs would be.

Thanks.

Mary Gallant

(865) 482-4455 ext. 24

(865) 482-4465 Fax

Forests 'manage'

Dear Editor,

Much fuss has been made in recent weeks
over Bill Clinton's ban on construction of new roads in certain
forest areas, including parts of San Juan National Forest.

Rick Jewell, of the Forest Service,
states (SUN, Jan. 11) that "our experts are still analyzing the
action. It is a little early to speak with assurance about the
impacts of the ban." The article then says that, "The major impact
will be the cessation of traditional Forest Service management
techniques such as thinning and logging." The ban would not only
restrict the building of new roads and logging, but also the use of
all motorized vehicles in these areas. Loggers and snowmobile/all
terrain vehicle enthusiasts are up in arms over the ban.

Wah.

The thought doesn't appear to have
occurred to many that forests "manage" themselves quite nicely, that
one could actually get off a snowmobile or out of a truck and
walk/hike/snowshoe/ski through the forest, or that we could recycle
building materials, experiment with alternative building materials,
or even restrict new homes to, say, 500 square feet per person (Yes,
yes, Mr. and Mrs. Wealthy Retiree, I know you need a
4,000-square-foot custom retirement home, but let's, just for the
moment, look at reality, okay?)

And jobs lost? Spare me. Exploring new
and alternative methods of acquiring energy efficient building
materials would produce thousands of jobs.

In his, Edward Abbey's, precious
name,

Maggie Valentine Inskeep

Handout challenge

Dear Editor,

It has been brought to our attention that
on Friday, Jan. 26, unknown adults handing out literature approached
our child at the intermediate school while getting on the school
bus.

We are asking that this group of
gentlemen identify themselves. We do not know who you are and do not
give permission for you to approach our child in any way without
prior consent.

To the school administration, we have
been informed that you had prior knowledge of this event and are
appalled at your willingness to not only allow this situation to
occur, but did not inform us as parents/guardians. These children are
"minors."

We would like you (school administrators)
to take a moment and think of where this leaves us as parents. Are we
to feel confident of a school that, No. 1: Lets unauthorized adults
get within "arms reach" of our children? and No. 2: Provides
literature that has not been approved by us?

One other point: We are not lawyers, but
because of the content of the literature, does this cross the
boundary of "separation of church and state?" Having it distributed
while our child is in the care and legal custodianship of School
District 50 joint staff, have our rights and the rights of our child
been violated?

We certainly hope this will be handled
differently in the future.

Regards,

John and Cindy Laner

Unacceptable

Dear Editor,

Friday afternoon as I went to the junior
high school bus stop to pick up my children, I noticed a man by the
bus loading zone passing out literature to students as they were
boarding the busses to leave the school grounds. This gentleman did
not offer me one as I too passed him and this immediately created a
very uncomfortable feeling in me. I then turned around and went to
the administration office to ask what was going on and expressed my
following concerns:

Our public school children were being
approached by strangers, receiving literature from people whom I did
not know in an area I perceived as being a safe and protected area of
the school district.

I, as a parent, view this as solicitation
of a minor, regardless of the content of the literature they were
passing out to public students as they were traveling the designated
paths between the school doors and the school bus loading
zone.

I was informed that last year when this
same group approached the administration office to pass out
literature in this manner the school district contacted their
attorney and were told this group was within their legal rights as
long as they did not obstruct the flow of traffic of students
boarding the busses, they did not preach to the students and they
remained on the public sidewalk. I was also told the school had been
informed of their intent to approach the children and the day this
would happen.

As a parent of three children I feel I
should have been informed along with all other parents who have
children in our public school system of this planned activity before
it occurred as we are of other activities that our children are
invited to participate in. I have also learned that this form of
solicitation would not be allowed at the bus loading zones of the
elementary school or the high school because that is public school
property. To protect our children from this in the future do we now
approach the town to install a no solicitation sign at these bus
loading zones?

As one individual in our community of
roughly now 10,000 people, I strongly believe we each have the right
to share our views and maintain our personal beliefs in whatever
religious choices we make. As a parent of children in our public
school system I support the creation of prayer groups for children
who choose to attend them in our public school classrooms as they
meet outside of normal school hours.

However, this approach of solicitation of
all minors boarding public school busses on their way home from
public school is unacceptable.

A sincerely concerned parent,

Pam Miller

Deeply appreciated

Dear David,

A recent letter to the editor (SUN, Jan.
25, "Plowing at 3 a.m.") has prompted me to write and briefly share
my point of view on snowplowing. I hear plows clearing the road at
all hours of the night and the first thing that I think of is its
driver. This driver is out working so that my way will be clear to
travel when it's time to get up. The buses will be able to pick up
the children for school. The skiers and boarders can get up the
mountain to enjoy new snow. The ambulance can reach someone in need.
Sometimes I think of the driver's family - home alone at all hours.
Sometimes I think of the danger involved with this job. Sometimes I
think how glad I am to be in my bed and not driving that plow. But,
mostly, I say a prayer that the driver will be protected in his
travel and that he will be especially blessed for the service that he
is providing to everyone who needs to continue life as usual during
the long, Colorado winters. Sure, it would be especially nice for
snowplow operators if they could plow between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. but
until snowfall can be turned off and on like an irrigation system,
it's not likely to happen.

Snowplow operators - Thank you and keep
up the 'round the clock good work. You're deeply
appreciated.

Nancy Rea

Plowing support

Dear David,

Responding to the letter "Plowing at 3
a.m." Diane (Pancoast), can you imagine how long it would take to
clear all county roads if plowing would be done only during daylight
hours. We never would make it to work on time, and the children would
not make it to school on time. I do very much appreciate the men
working day and night to get our county roads cleared of snow - no
matter at what time of day. And also: we do not have snow every day.

Thanks to the men for working so hard and
so many hours during the times when it snows.

Liz Schnell

'Life isn't fair'

Dear Editor,

My friend Marie sympathized with the
person unceremoniously awakened by those noisy snow plows
thoughtlessly coming around in the morning when it's still sleeping
time, except for the kids going to school or a parent to work. Marie
says it is almost as annoying as those pesky firefighters working on
a nearby burning house in the middle of the night. Who was it that
said "Life isn't fair?"

One would think our commissioners would
do something about this. Or wouldn't you?

Lee Sterling

Don't agree

Dear Editor,

Diane Pancoast demonstrates a flair for
charming poetry (Jan. 25) but we don't all agree with her bottom
line. I was up reading at 4:30 a.m. several days ago when the
snowplow came by and my thought was bless those road crews out in the
dark so our roads are navigable that day.

It's extremely difficult to see the edge
of the road in certain areas on Pagosa Boulevard in daylight. How do
the crews know where to plow at night with a thick layer of snow? I'm
sure most of us appreciate their efforts.

Shows to go, you can't please all the
people all the time.

Arline Stiles

Obituaries

For Juan Ribera please see front
page.

People

Ronald Davidson

Navy Chief Petty Officer Ronald R.
Davidson, son of Nancy and Audie Davidson of Pagosa Springs, recently
received his second Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal.

Davidson is assigned to the Afloat
Training Group Middle Pacific, homeported in Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii.

While assigned as underway damage control
instructor, Davidson designed and implemented a program to train
teams to repair damage on Navy ships and Coast Guard cutters. He also
revised and updated the training packet and implemented new
philosophies for his section.

Davidson, a 1987 graduate of Pagosa
Springs High School, joined the Navy in August 1987.

Dean's List

Three Pagosa Springs High School
graduates, Sarah Huckins, Seth Kurt-Mason and Tiffany Wiggers, earned
places on the Dean's List for the fall semester at Western State
College in Gunnison. To qualify for the Dean's List, each student
earned a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher for at least 12 credit
hours.

Sarah is the daughter of Debbie Reynolds,
Seth is the son of Lindsey and Mary Kurt-Mason, Tiffany is the
daughter of Curt and Lynell Wiggers, all of Pagosa
Springs.

Jason Mitchum

University of Wyoming officials announced
Jan. 25 that Jason Mitchum of Pagosa Springs was named to Tau Beta
Pi, the national honor society in engineering which recognizes
"engineering students of superior scholarship and outstanding
character."

Mitchum, a junior, is majoring in
mechanical engineering.

Resha Watkins

Resha Watkins of Pagosa Springs has been
named to the Oklahoma Baptist University President's Honor Roll for
the 2000 fall semester. Requirements are a 3.70 grade point average
with no grade below a "B" in at least 12 or more semester
hours.

Resha is the daughter of James and Linda
Watkins of Pagosa Springs.

Sports Page

Lady Pirates' defense stymies
Bobcats

By Richard Walter

When Julia Valdez hit a long 3-pointer on
the first shot of the game with less than 15 seconds gone off the
clock, some Ignacio fans thought the time had arrived - that
long-anticipated moment when they'd knock off the Pagosa Springs Lady
Pirates.

But the early joy dissolved into a 16-9
deficit at the end of the first quarter Friday as Pagosa's attack
wilted the Lady Bobcats, and the Ladies smothering defense then
limited Ignacio to only three field goals in the middle two
quarters.

The key to Pagosa's success? It is
becoming repetitious. Pound the ball inside to your two prolific
scorers, Ashley Gronewoller and Katie Lancing. They had 20 and 18
points respectively, many of them coming on assists from Tiffanie
Hamilton who had 10 for the game to go along with six points and
eight rebounds.

So complete was the Lady Pirates'
dominance, that coach Karen Wells was able to get valuable playing
time for reserves for most of the fourth quarter, a period in which
Pagosa was outscored 16-12 as Valdez added six of her 13 points to
lead the Bobcats.

Percentages jumped dramatically for the
Lady Pirates. Gronewoller, for example, got her 20 points on 10 of 12
shooting from the floor and Lancing scored her 18 points on 7 of 10
from the floor, including her first 3-pointer of the season. Lancing
also contributed 3 for 5 from the foul line. Strangely, she was the
only Pagosa player to go to the line in the entire game.

Senior guard Meigan Canty contributed
another 3-pointer to the Lady Pirates' cause, but took only two other
shots in the game.

Sophomore guard Shannon Walkup had four
points on 2 of 5 shooting and chipped in with two steals, three
assists, a blocked shot, four rebounds and sterling defensive play,
rotating in and out with senior guard Andrea Ash, against Katie
Whiteskunk, Ignacio's veteran three-point artist.

Whiteskunk was so hounded that she
attempted only one field goal in the game and scored it for three.
She did go 6 for 6 from the charity stripe for a game total of nine
points.

Speaking of defense, Lancing was a
blanket on Ignacio's Arla Velasquez, the young woman who almost
single-handedly destroyed the Bayfield Wolverines last week with a
27-point performance.

After Velasquez picked up two quick
baskets in the first quarter, she disappeared from the stat sheets
until getting an insignificant field goal with only seconds left in
the game. At one point, Velasquez was so disturbed by her inability
to get a shot off that she asked her coach to take her
out.

Lancing meanwhile, in addition to her 18
points, had five steals, four assists and more importantly, 11
rebounds, seven on the defensive end.

Another interesting stat for the game is
that for the first time in several outings no Pagosa player was in
foul trouble. Lancing finished with three, Hamilton, Gronewoller and
Walkup with two each and Canty and Buckley both had one.

The Lady Bobcats, who had scored 60
points in a loss to Centauri two weeks ago, could find no cure for
the Pagosa defensive blanket. Starters and normally strong scorers
Roegena Thompson and Crystal Young were held to a single field goal
by the latter. Other Ignacio scoring came on a third-quarter trey by
Stephanie Rivera and a driving layup in the same period by Nancy
Weaver. For each, it was their only scores of the game.

Ignacio coach Duane Odom kept
substituting freely, looking for a combination that would produce
some offense, but the suffocating Pagosa defense kept turning away
most Bobcat efforts. Even when they were able to shoot, every attempt
was contested.

The one bright spot for the Lady Bobcats
was their performance at the foul line where they canned 8 of 10
attempts. The only misses came late in the game when Weaver misfired
on both shots after being fouled while shooting by Nicole
Buckley.

Perhaps the most telling illustration of
the futility of the Ignacio offense came late in the third quarter
when Young broke free on the left side and went up for a jumper with
a clear shot at the basket.

But she hadn't reckoned with Walkup who
rotated from defense of Whiteskunk and leaped high to block the shot
from behind. It was the play which most dramatically emphasized the
Lady Pirates' defensive effort.

This week the Pagosans put their 12-2
season mark on the line with a home game Friday against Bayfield at
6:30 p.m. and a 2:30 p.m. contest Saturday against Monte Vista in
Monte Vista.

Pirates drop 51-50 heartbreaker
to Ignacio

By John M. Motter

Ignacio proved anything can happen in an
Intermountain League contest by edging Pagosa Springs at the buzzer
51-50. Friday's loss to Ignacio was Pagosa's first loss to the
Bobcats since 1996 when Ignacio won 51-48 and 52-48 during regular
season games.

The loss was also Pagosa's first IML loss
since 1998.

Meanwhile, winter snows continue to wreak
havoc with the IML season. The schedule calls for each team to meet
twice during the season. If that had happened, the first half of the
season's games would have ended last weekend and the second half of
the season would start this weekend.

What has happened is that each team has
at least one makeup game. Monte Vista faces three makeup games. At
the end of one-half the IML season, Monte Vista is on top with a 1-0
record, followed by Pagosa Springs and Ignacio with 2-1 records,
Centauri with a 1-2 record, and Bayfield with a 0-2 record. Every
team is still in the race to capture the IML title.

Pagosa hosts Bayfield Friday at 8 p.m. in
the first game of the second half of the season, then buses across
Wolf Creek Pass Saturday for a 4 p.m. game with Monte Vista. The
first Pagosa Springs-Monte Vista game was canceled due to bad weather
and has been rescheduled Feb. 16 at 5:30 in Pagosa
Springs.

Monte, those other Pirates, plays an
in-your-face defense trying to force teams to run with them. When the
strategy works, Monte usually wins. Pagosa's challenge will be to
force Monte into a half-court game, Pagosa's strength.

"Right now, we're focusing on Bayfield
first," coach Kyle Canty said.

Pagosa won its first encounter with the
Wolverines when Micah Maberry sank a bucket as the final buzzer
sounded. The final score was 58-57 for the Pirates.

"We're going to have to change the way we
play against Bayfield," said Canty. "They were driving through the
key almost uncontested in the last game. We have to stop
that.

"We still control our destiny," Canty
said. "If we win the rest of our league games, we'll come out on top
because Ignacio will have two losses."

Ignacio lost to Centauri earlier this
season. Pagosa has beaten Centauri, as has Monte Vista.

The team which comes out on top in
regular season play in the IML is guaranteed a berth in the first
round of the post-season state playoffs. A second team will emerge
from the IML post season tournament. The second team will either win
the tournament or finish second to the tournament winner if the
tournament winner is also the league leader at the end of regular
play.

Last year Pagosa ran through the regular
season without a loss, including two wins over Monte Vista. Pagosa
and Monte collided in the championship game at the IML tournament.
Monte won that game and thereby joined Pagosa Springs in post-season
play. They met again in the consolation championship game of the
state Class 3A tournament. Again Monte won.

Ignacio 51, Pagosa 50

Strange things happen when teams play in
Ignacio. Officiating at games in Ignacio is legendary. Canty won't
say so, but the whistle blowing, or lack thereof, at Thursday's game
in the Bobcat den may have enlarged the bounds of officiating
creativity to undreamed of dimensions.

Even so, as the final seconds on the
clock ticked off, the Ignacio boys scored when they had the
opportunity, Pagosa didn't.

Ignacio never led until the final minute
of the game. At one time early in the second quarter, Pagosa built a
24-2 lead. Pagosa scoring came on well executed cuts for the basket
which resulted in layups. Ignacio responded by changing their
defensive strategy. Instead of a hand on the back of a jersey, the
defenders shoved with hands, hips, or shoulders throwing Pagosa boys
off of their routes, or interrupting shooting aim. The officials
didn't see or didn't call the Ignacio shoving.

The score by quarters tells the rest of
the story. Pagosa led 15-2 at the end of the first quarter, 25-20 at
the half, and 40-37 at the end of the third quarter. In the final
quarter, the Pirates were outscored by Ignacio 14-10.

"I guess I should take the blame," Canty
said. "They were driving in to the basket and we were staying with
them. Then they'd kick the ball back out and somebody'd hit a three.
I should have adjusted so we could get more pressure on those outside
shots."

The Bobcats outshot Pagosa 5 to 1 from
three-point range. At the end, with the score knotted or only
separated by one point, the Pagosa boys failed to make uncontested
layups that would have saved the game despite the
officiating.

Micah Maberry led all scorers with 18
points. Tyrel Ross followed with 10 points, David Goodenberger with
eight points, Daniel Crenshaw, Chris Rivas, and Darin Lister with
four points, and Brandon Charles with three points.

Pagosa converted 18 of 40 field goal
attempts for a shooting percentage of 45 percent. From three-point
range, the Pirates hit 1 of 5 for 20 percent effectiveness. At the
charity stripe, Pagosa shot 61.5 percent by making 8 of 13
attempts.

Ross and Charles with five assists each
and Goodenberger with four assists led Pagosa in that department.
Goodenberger set the pace in rebounding by pulling down 14 rebounds.
Maberry blocked two shots; Crenshaw blocked one.

Pirate grapplers get 'must'
pins, dump Bayfield

By Karl Isberg

A dramatic win over Bayfield Jan. 25 gave
Pirate wrestlers their first dual meet victory since early season
trips to tournaments at Rocky Ford and Buena Vista.

The Bayfield dual was a close affair
heading into the final contested matches of the evening. Pagosa was
set to forfeit at 189 and 275 pounds and only Josh Richardson (171
pounds) and Luke Boilini (215 pounds) could give Pagosa the meet
victory.

And only a pin in each match would do the
trick.

The wrestlers did what they needed: each
Pirate pinned his man and their team went home a 38-37
winner.

Michael Martinez started the evening
right for the Pirates, nailing a technical fall at 103 pounds.

Other Pirates who put points on the score
board against the Wolverines included Ryan Lee, who scored a pin at
119 pounds; Cliff Hockett, who fashioned a 4-0 decision at 130
pounds; and Trevor Peterson, who pinned his man at 145
pounds.

Richardson faced Eric Stone at 171 pounds
and put Stone's shoulders to the mat just over two minutes into the
match.

"This was a fun meet," said Pirates coach
Dan Janowsky. "It was a good win; the kids responded, especially Josh
and Luke. We started six points down, knowing we would forfeit three
matches and Bayfield would forfeit only one. I would consider the win
an upset. Our kids keep plugging away, and they were rewarded for
their efforts."

An appearance at the Jan. 27 Ignacio
Tournament did not yield the team-score results Janowsky and his
athletes anticipated, but numerous individual performances were
encouraging.

Pagosa finished last among eight teams at
the tournament. The meet featured some high-powered squads from New
Mexico - Farmington, Bloomfield and Piedra Vista - and those teams
finished in the top three spots, in that order.

Several Pirates finished among the top
four placers in their weight divisions.

Richardson took second place at 171
pounds. The Pirate senior won two matches with pins. First to go was
a wrestler from Aztec, N.M., whose shoulders went to the mat in the
first period of the match. Next down was a competitor from Bayfield;
Richardson scored the pin in the second period. In the tourney
finals, Richardson lost by a fall to his Farmington
opponent.

Martinez took fourth place at 103 pounds.
Martinez began action with a 9-3 decision over a Piedra Vista
athlete, then dropped to the consolation bracket with a 6-3 loss to a
Bloomfield wrestler. Martinez pinned an Aztec competitor in the
second period and advanced to the third-place match which he lost in
the third period to a wrestler from Mancos.

Jesse Trujillo was fourth at 112 pounds.
He started with a second-period pin against Mancos then lost 11-5 to
a Bayfield wrestler. Trujillo pinned his man from Aztec in the second
period then lost a decision to an athlete from Piedra
Vista.

Boilini was fourth at 215 pounds. A 5-1
decision over a Piedra Vista wrestler put Boilini on the mat against
the Farmington entrant. A 5-3 loss sent Boilini to the consolation
bracket where he pinned Bayfield's man in the second period. In his
final match of the day, Boilini lost to the Piedra Vista wrestler,
5-3.

Other Pirates won single matches at the
Ignacio tournament: Ronnie O'Brien won with a pin at 125 pounds;
Cliff Hockett earned a decision at 130 pounds; Clayton Mastin got a
decision at 140 pounds; Trevor Peterson nailed a fall at 145 pounds;
Zeb Gill also wrestled at 145 pounds and forged a decision; Jordan
Kurt-Mason crafted a consolation-round decision at 152
pounds.

"This year's field was as tough as we've
seen at Ignacio in years," said Janowsky. "It was a classic wrestling
day: everybody else was home, drinking coffee or shoveling snow. We
were in a small gym, knocking heads. The top three teams were pretty
stout. As I saw it, that left it to us, Ignacio and Bayfield. The bad
news is that we finished behind them, with no champions. We didn't
get the team points because we didn't have the medalists."

Pirate wrestlers had a good first round
at the tournament, said the coach. "We tended to draw the top one or
two guys in each division," he said, "and they were tough. We won
every match we could possibly win and fought tooth-and-nail in the
others. We came back strong in the second round, but it was the
consolation semi-final round that was disappointing."

The Ignacio tournament marked the end of
regular-season competition, with the Intermountain League district
tourney set for Saturday at Centauri.

IML action will be in a dual-meet format
and Pagosa has beaten only Bayfield in a dual meet this year. In
other words, the Pirates have their opponents right where they want
them - confident and, perhaps, looking past this young
team.

"Our guys have been wrestling hard," said
Janowsky, "and they've been taking their lumps. They've been
struggling, but they're starting to accept the struggle and do the
best they can. They are really stepping up to the sport. At Centauri,
we will have to turn some matches around; some of our guys will have
to beat people who beat them earlier in the year. We are going to
stick together and fight it out to the end."

Tourney action at Centauri begins at 10
a.m.

Pee Wee wrestling sign-up
February 8 at high school

Registration for the Pagosa Springs
PeeWee Wrestling program will be on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. at the
high school commons area, at which time there will be a mandatory
parent meeting. The $18 registration fee covers the cost of secondary
insurance and a team T-shirt. Team singlets (uniforms) are available
with a $35 deposit. A copy of the child's birth certificate as well
as the registration form and parent release form are required prior
to the child practicing with the club. If your child participated in
wrestling in the past, the registrars should still have the birth
certificate on file.

Practices for PeeWee Wrestling (ages 5 to
14) will begin on Monday, Feb. 12. Practices will be held at the
junior high, upstairs in the mezzanine of the gymnasium. Divisions 1
and 2 (those children who will turn 8 years old during the year 2001,
and younger children) will practice from 5 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and
Wednesdays. Divisions 3, 4 and 5 will practice from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Please enter the gym through the side
doors on 4th Street (opposite Mountain Greenery and Goodman's
Department Store), and please do not park in businesses private
parking lots.

The first competitive tournament is
scheduled for Feb. 24 in Durango. Saturday tournaments throughout the
Four Corners Region will follow every Saturday and end in April.
Pagosa will host its own tournament on March 31, which require a
great deal of parental assistance.

Community News

Chamber News

By Sally Hameister

Snow cover promises WinterFest
fun

Looks like we got enough of the white stuff to have a proper
Winterfest this weekend with some events we haven't had for several
years.

Unless we have a sudden heat wave or other weather aberration,
we will have our Snow Sculpture Contest Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. at the Visitor Center. We have some rather healthy piles of snow
lining the parking lot inviting you and yours to create something
prizeworthy. Registration fee is $20 if you preregister, or $30
Saturday. You can pick up registration forms at the Visitor
Center.

Juan's Mountain Sports will sponsor a Snowboard Jumping Contest
on Reservoir Hill Saturday at 11 a.m. You can call for more
information on this event at 264-4730.

Weather permitting, 30 to 35 balloons will ascend from behind
the Ralph Eaton Recreation Center in Pagosa Lakes Saturday and Sunday
mornings around 8 a.m. Ascensions are particularly magnificent in the
snow, so you won't want to miss these. A glow will be held at dusk
Saturday in the arena at the fairgrounds, if weather allows.

Saturday night, two performances of the Rotary Follies will be
presented at the County Extension Building, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. This
is a must-see performance for everyone who lives and works in Pagosa
Springs and offers us all a great opportunity to laugh at ourselves.
Tickets can be purchased at the Visitor Center and at all local
banks.

The Photo Contest reception will be held at Moonlight Books
from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday evening and is open to the public.

You're invited to join the fun out at High Country Lodge Sunday
for their annual open house and for the "Almost Anything Goes
Downhill Sled Race." Kathey and Dick Fitz will hold the open house
from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the race will be held at 1 p.m. You
can preregister for the race at the Visitor Center for $15, and we
hope you will because it will cost you $25 the day of the race.
Remember, the sled must be home-made with a steering mechanism and
brakes. Prizes will be $75, $50 and $25 for first, second and third
places.

Give us a call at the Chamber with questions about any of these
events at 264-2360.

More awards

As I promised last week, there were a few more awards presented
at the Mardi Gras that I want to share with you. I just ran out of
time last Monday with all the madness, but I don't want to forget to
mention these very worthy winners.

Pagosa Pride Awards went to Bank of the San Juans with Sue Gast
accepting, Mountain Run Mall with Kenny King accepting, and Cool
Water Plumbing with John DiMuccio accepting.

Congratulations to all these businesses for making our
community a "purtier" place in which to live.

Best Female and Male Costume prizes stayed in one family with
Kathey and Dick Fitz garnering the award for their wildly original
and wacky "Voo Doo Couple" attire. One just had to see Kathey's fake
long, red toenails to really appreciate them. They were quite a sight
to behold and more than worthy of the prize.

We also want to congratulate John Porter for discovering the
infamous baby in his piece of King cake. John wins a free Chamber
membership for the year 2002 and just has to let us know which
business he's chosen. We also want to thank John and his Reading
Ensemble gang for performing "A One Stoplight Town" for us. John
authored the piece, and it was performed by Beth Porter, Pat Rydz,
Pamela Novack, Sam Matthews and Steve Rogan. If you were not
fortunate enough to hear it that night, I hope they will consider
performing it time and again.

Lotsa TLC

Our new directors, Matt Bachus, Angie Dahm and Will Spears were
given a more than healthy dose of their new responsibilities last
Friday when they spent the entire day at our annual board retreat
going over all things Chamber.

Mary Jo Coulehan was kind enough to host our unruly bunch at
TLC's and made us ever so comfortable. We can't thank MJ enough for
the warm hospitality and delicious lunch she prepared for us. We are
ever so grateful.

Officers for the year were elected at the retreat, and I am
delighted to announce that Ken Harms is our new president. Mark
DeVoti is the new veep and Will Spears is now secretary/treasurer.
Will was especially happy with this position when he learned that as
secretary, he wouldn't be asked to take a note (Morna does that for
us) and as treasurer, he wouldn't have to mess with money or bills
(that's my job!). Congrats, guys.

PSAC social

The Pagosa Springs Arts Council invites you to attend "Sweets,
Entertainment and Good Company" Feb. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Piano
Creek office, 468 Lewis Street.

You will be treated to luscious desserts, fabulous
entertainment and great company. Several local restaurants will
supply the desserts, and different divisions of PSAC will provide
entertainment. The Pagosa Players and Kings Men will offer a
presentation, and Bruce Andersen will provide the music. There is no
charge for this terrific evening, and everyone is invited. If you
would like more information, please call the PSAC gallery at
264-5020.

Free series

The Pagosa Springs Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Mercy
Home Health/Hospice, Southwest Colorado Mental Health Center and the
Pagosa Springs Health Partnership invite you to attend a free family
education series where you will be able to view six one-hour segments
of the Bill Moyers' videos on end-of-life choices.

Children over age 14 can attend at their parents' discretion.

At the seventh session, copies of legal paperwork choices will
be available to be filled out with suggestions and local information
from hospice doctor Pam Kircher, M.D. and local attorney Mary Weiss.
These sessions will be held in the county commissioners' room at the
courthouse from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 8 and 22, March 8 and 22 April 12
and 26, and May 10.

For more information, call Marilyn Moorhead at 731-2323.

Membership

We have one new Associate Member - Mr. Shannon L. LaRue - to
introduce this week and 12 renewals.

San Juan Outdoor Club will meet tonight at 7 at the Parish Hall
on Lewis Street. The program on wilderness first aid will be
presented by Pete Peterson. Everyone is welcome. San Juan Outdoor
Club members are avid cross country skiers and the club itself is
instrumental in the maintenance of a number of our area's nordic
tracks. If you are new to the sport or to the area, the San Juan
Outdoor Club and the Gray Wolf Ski Club are both invaluable resources
for outdoor recreation opportunities.

"Yoga for the Young at Heart" - a yoga workshop for all levels
will be taught by internationally recognized instructor Susan Winter
Ward at the Recreation Center tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. Please bring
your yoga mat or a large towel. There is a class fee. For additional
information, call 731-9500.

Swiss-ball exercise class, following a well-attended demo
session last week, will begin next Tuesday. Class will be from 2:30
to 3:30 p.m. at Pagosa Lakes Recreation Center. Instruction will be
provided by staff members of Mercy Orthopedic and Sport Therapy. For
more information, please call 731-2051.

With snow being an abundant commodity this winter, are you
getting out to enjoy it? Conditions are superb, the best in many
winters for alpine skiing, nordic skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. A
winter like this one is a smile bringer.

Nordic or cross country skiing is an excellent form of exercise
- very much like running, but without the hard impact on joints.
Cross country skiing is great for losing weight, hitting high
intensities and increasing muscle strength around the hip area. Since
cross country skiing engages the upper body as well as the legs, you
get a terrific whole-body workout.

Dressing for cross country skiing - the multi-layer principle
applies. Most experienced cross country skiers recommend
polypropylene or capilene garments for the first layer, since they
draw or "wick" perspiration away from the skin. By retaining this
moisture, the material allows the next layer, perhaps a turtle-neck
sweater, to entrap your body heat. Your hands can be similarly
layered - light glove liners covered by wool or other mittens. Keep
your outer garment light, windproof and made of a breathable
material. Unlike downhill or alpine skiing, your body will be working
hard and perspiring. Headband or hat will keep your ears warm. Many
skiers find that lycra tights or traditional knicker pants allow them
a maximum of freedom for knee movements. If you use knicker pants,
make sure your socks reach above the knees. Avoid denim trousers
(jeans). Besides their propensity to cause chaffing, they become
irritatingly cold when wet and nearly impossible to dry while being
worn.

Compared with more expensive and heavier downhill ski gear,
cross country equipment - including skis, boots, bindings (which keep
your boots attached to the skis) and poles - is not only much
lighter, but also generally less expensive. Since there are a
bewildering variety of models and brands from which to choose, I
advise you to rent your equipment until you have a little more time
to research the market.

Your proper equipment and high-tech clothing mean nothing when
it comes to athletic performance if you forget the most important
piece of equipment - water. Your body needs water to exercise, work,
think and live. Seventy percent of muscle tissue is composed of
water. A lack of water makes the muscles and joints less flexible and
more prone to injury. When you work out in cold weather or at high
altitude (above 3,000 feet - you are definitely at high altitude in
and around Pagosa), your need for water increases as well. That's
because you breath more rapidly, losing more water vapor. So the next
time you go out to play take along water - the healthiest and
cheapest piece of equipment you can get.

Senior News

By Janet Copeland

More firms honoring memberships
with discounts

Our potluck dinner on Friday night only had 10 attendees but
those of us who were there were treated to a slide show - Glen Kinum
showed some pictures taken in Spitzburgen, Norway, in the Arctic
Circle, where he and others were studying and placing bands on
Barnacle Geese. The scenery was beautiful and their living conditions
while roughing it in the primitive unpopulated areas made for an
interesting presentation.

Our membership is growing. We welcome Marrion Swanson as a new
member. LaKiva Gifts and Wolf Tracks Coffee House are now honoring
our membership cards with a 10 percent discount on items purchased.
We sincerely appreciate all of our businesses who honor our
membership cards with discounts.

Eva Darmopray is our Senior of the Week. Eva is a vital member
of our organization, serving on the Senior Board as well as
volunteering to help others.

There has been a change in the transportation services offered
to seniors. Members with medical appointments may ride the shopping
shuttle to Durango for the $10 fee. Call Payge at the Senior Center
for information and to sign up for the trip.

I'm not wild about driving in it. My
theory has always been, if you don't have to drive in snow, then stay
home. Leave the roads and streets to them what has to get out. That
way, there's at least one car less to worry about.

Last year, each time it snowed there'd be
a few inches of the white stuff, and then by afternoon the sun would
come out and warm the roads and melt the stuff.

Meadows Road, our route to Highway 160,
was a constant mess.

Over the summer, the county paved
Meadows. "Hooray," said the neighbors. "No more dust in the summer,
when those big belly-dump trucks roar down the road. No more sliding
in the mud, come winter."

Well, they got part of it
right.

I guess the county did a good job. They
raised the roadbed and ran metal culverts underneath it to connect
the drainage ditches on either side. They laid several courses of
stone in graded sizes before the final coat of asphalt.

But, they forgot to create any shoulders.
I guess there wasn't enough money to widen anything. The road is a
strip of asphalt just two lanes wide. It's high above the surrounding
land and lined on either side with ditches that are at least 3 and 4
feet deep.

There's no room to pull over. If your car
were to slide off the pavement into one of those ditches, you'd know
it.

Now that we've got snow, it's a trap for
the unwary. The plows come along and do their thing. The road is
cleared, sort of, and the ditches are filled with snow until they're
level with the road bed. You'd think you could pull over onto terra
firma.

But you'd be wrong.

Last week the pickup truck ahead of us
got too close to the edge. Both wheels slid down the bank. He
traveled for the length of a city block, with the vehicle tilted
about 45 degrees, trying to get up enough momentum to drive back up
onto the pavement. No go. Finally, the front wheels turned down just
a bit, and he was stopped.

The driver climbed up out of the cab. We
pulled up and asked if he needed a ride anywhere. "Naw," he said, "I
got cell. I can make a call."

Another day, Hotshot watched another
pickup turn onto Meadows from 160. The back end of the truck slewed
sideways on the packed snow and slid right off the road and into the
ditch.

I tell you, the tow truck operators in
Pagosa must be glad the county paved this road. I drive it like an
old woman, creeping along, hugging the center.

Of course, up on Wolf Creek Pass, cars
and trucks can get into trouble even when the road is clear. It
doesn't have to be snowing.

We were coming over the Pass last week,
about 6 o'clock on a Monday evening. It was already almost full dark.
Tuesday's expected snow hadn't started yet, and the pavement was free
of snow and ice. A couple of trucks were pulled over at the top, and
I guess the drivers were checking their brakes and equipment. I know
I'd do that, if I drove a big rig over Wolf Creek.

The road down was almost empty, except
for another truck, which we passed.

And then, just above the lower of the two
runaway truck ramps, we came upon a newly crashed semi. I mean, the
accident had just occurred. The flatbed trailer was upside down, and
the burning brake pads glowed orange in the dark.

Just beyond, also on the side of the
road, was the cab of the truck, lying on the passenger
door.

We passed the cab and pulled off the
road. Another car nosed in beside us. A big truck stopped behind us
and the driver leaped out, yelling, terribly upset. He'd been talking
with the driver of the crashed truck when the brakes had
failed.

"Do we have a flashlight?" Hotshot asked
me, as he started for the wreck. I dug around in our stuff, looking
for the little flashlight I had happened to bring along.

We approached the overturned cab. We
could see and hear the driver moving around inside his cab, which
seemed to be filling with smoke. "Are you all right?" called Sandy,
the driver of the other car. There was a mumbled answer.

Without further conversation, people
divided up the jobs. Hotshot and I drove down to the Overlook to get
a clear path for our cell phone. The trucker and Sandy climbed onto
the cab and pulled open the driver's door. They had to talk the
driver into getting out of there.

"I gotta find my jacket," he mumbled.

"No. You have to get out. Step here.
Climb here. Sit here. Slide down here." One step at a time, they
directed him out of the crashed cab and over to the other truck. "Sit
here," Sandy told him. "Don't move."

She went back up the road with reflectors
from the other truck's tool box, to alert any traffic coming down
from the pass, while the other driver got busy with a fire
extinguisher.

Meanwhile, Hotshot was trying to talk to
the 911 dispatcher. The connection was fuzzy. He walked out farther
into the Overlook parking lot and repeated the information. Then the
battery on our little phone ran out of juice. We plugged it in and he
stood on the car and called back, hoping they'd be able to hear
him.

"Okay," said the dispatcher. "We've got
the information. The emergency vehicles are on the way."

We drove back to the wreck and told the
two drivers that the help was coming, and then we headed on
home.

We learned later that the driver was
bruised and had taken a blow to the head, but he didn't have to go to
the hospital. Sandy suffered from smoke inhalation and was seen by
the EMS people later that evening. She didn't have to go to the
hospital either.

The incident got me thinking about what
we might keep in the car for emergencies. A cell phone to call for
help is great, if you can get a connection. But what if you
can't?

I asked a few friends what they carry. A
shovel for digging out. Some people keep a sack of sand or kitty
litter. A flashlight. Water and maybe some food. I bring blankets and
boots if we're going any distance - like to Durango, in the
winter.

Now I think I'll add a first aid kit.
Driving these roads, you have to be prepared.

Library News

By Lenore Bright

Tax forms, cyclist's cancer
book available

We finally have all income tax forms,
state and federal. We are the only place in town to get them. Copies
are 15 cents each. The library opens Monday through Friday at 8:30
am.

The epidemic

Our dear friend and volunteer, Katherine
Cruse, is one of many good friends suddenly faced with cancer. Her
attitude is remarkable, and should be an inspiration to all of us.

She just returned Lance Arm-strong's
book, "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life." Katherine
asked that I mention it here, and she urges everyone to read the
story of a journey through cancer, recovery and survivorship. If any
of you have suggestions on any specific books, we are glad to offer
material on the subject. This disease challenges many. We are all in
it together.

Other new books

"2001 Questions Every Home-buyer and
Homeseller Must Ask," by Edith Lank, is a collection of questions and
answers from her award-winning real estate column carried in more
than 100 newspapers. She is heard weekly on public radio and has
appeared on CNN and CNBC. Edith covers information needed when you
are buying or selling real estate.

Ticket to ride

The latest "Colorado Rail Annual No. 24"
by Herbert Danneman tells the complete story of the passenger trains
on the narrow gauge lines of the Denver & Rio Grand Western and
its predecessors from 1871 until 1981. Historical photographs,
timetables and advertisements round out the book. The Pagosa
connection is mentioned as well as Cumbres Toltec, Galloping Goose,
and the Durango line.

Watercolor theory

"Fill Your Watercolors with Light and
Color," by Roland Roycraft, is one of several painting books donated
by Linda Bernard. Roycraft gives techniques using extensive masking
and pouring. Pouring is a new way of glazing to capture color
variations.

M. Scott Peck's new one - "Golf and the
Spirit: a Lesson for the Journey" - explains that golf is a metaphor
for life. It goes beyond the mechanics and explores the deeper
issues: ways of managing the emotional, psychological and spiritual
aspects of the maddening and inspiring game. Peck considers golf to
be the greatest learning experience of life next to marriage and
parenthood. He says that golf is life, and not only that, it is life
condensed.

Second-hand books

We're frequently asked about a store in
Denver. Linda Lebsack Books has moved to 32 Broadway. The phone is
(303) 832-7190. Linda deals in special books on Colorado and the
West. She puts out a catalog. The email address is:
LinLebBks@aol.com. The phone is (303) 832-7190.

Choices

Do you have a current legal medical power
of attorney and a living will? Is your CPR Directive on the
refrigerator door?

Dr. Pam Kircher and local attorney Mary
Weiss will take part in a family education series concerning
end-of-life issues.

Six segments of Bill Moyer's videos on
these issues will be shown, and at the seventh session, copies of
possible legal paperwork choices will be available to be filled out
with suggestions and local information from Dr. Kircher.

The seven meetings will be held at the
county commissioners' room in the courthouse from 7 to 9 p.m.
starting Feb. 8. Other dates will be Feb. 22, March 8 and 22, April
12 and 26, and May 10.

This series is sponsored by Mercy Home
Health/Hospice, Southwest Colorado Mental Health, the Pagosa Springs
Health Partnership, and the Pagosa Springs Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship. Call Marilyn Moorhead for further information at
731-2323.

The library has a number of books on the
subject and will be getting more.

Seventeen years ago this April, an
informal discussion meeting for what came to be known as the Gray
Wolf Ski Club took place in the Wolf Creek Lodge, with 32 people
present - 16 from each side of Wolf Creek Pass.

Among the key players in the club's
formation were Pagosa residents Betty Lou Reid and Harry
Young.

Membership was set at age 50 and over.
Charter memberships closed with 70 paying their dues.

Downhill skiing was the initial focus of
the club, at Wolf Creek and via trips to other ski areas. Minutes of
the early planning sessions reflect that picnics and potlucks were
always an integral part of the agendas as well.

Today, Gray Wolf Ski Club membership has
grown to more than 525. While downhill skiing remains a vital part of
the club's calendar, activities have broadened to include
cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, golf, four-wheel drive
outings and biking. Potlucks, picnics and parties remain ever-popular
events as well,

"The Gray Wolves range in age from 50 to
87, and they have an enormous capacity for appreciating and enjoying
life," said Carole Howard, editor of the club's monthly newsletter.
"It's so inspiring to watch seniors in their 60s and 70s hike steep
hills and ski difficult slopes better than most people in their 20s
and 30s. What a difference from the stereotype of seniors as old
folks just sitting around!"

Hiking is the most popular athletic
activity by far, with an average of 35 members participating in the
club's weekly summer hikes on the west side of the Pass. Similar
hikes take place on the east side.

Special trips are organized for members.
This year's travel includes a downhill ski trip to Copper Mountain, a
cross country ski outing to the Rocky Mountain National Park, and
golf tournaments in Laughlin, Tucson and Moab.

By tradition, each year the president and
vice president come from different sides of Wolf Creek Pass, and the
vice president automatically becomes president the following year.
There are two business meetings each year - one on each side of the
pass. Both are better known for their great food and camaraderie than
for serious business.

The club achieved statewide fame last
winter when 16 of the skiers were featured on the PBS TV program
"Spirit of Colorado" in a segment called "The Ski Life." The show
aired several times again this winter on Rocky Mountain PBS stations.

"We all got a big kick out of the filming
process up at Wolf Creek, and then seeing ourselves in the final
product, " Carole said. "Jean Claude Killey we definitely were not -
but we were not disgraced either!" In fact, Carole said that the
producer was amazed at how well the seniors skied and by what he
called "a special sense of fellowship" that Gray Wolves share both on
and off the slopes.

Gray Wolves are among the most active
volunteers and caring contributors to their communities - as
individuals, and through churches, service and civic
clubs.

Club activities have become so popular
that last year a resolution was passed restricting them to members
only.

To join, send a check to Shields
Daltroff, Gray Wolf Ski Club, Box 2394, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.
Annual dues are $10 singles or $15 couples. One person of the couple
must be age 50 or over.

In addition to fitness, fun and
fellowship, another bonus of membership includes reduced season
ticket prices at the Wolf Creek Ski Area. Members also receive a
monthly newsletter informing them of all the club
activities.

Around town

New officers of the San Juan Outdoor Club
are president Sue Passant; vice president Lynda Van Patter; secretary
Larry Dunn; and treasurer, Charlotte Overley.

Needed

Old nylon stockings to stuff hospital
pillows. Please leave them at Sisson Library.

Fun on the run

Only in America.

1. Only in America . . .can a pizza get
to your house faster than an ambulance.

2. Only in America . . . are there
handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.

3. Only in America . . . do drugstores
make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their
prescriptions when healthy people can get cigarettes at the
front.

4. Only in America . . . do people order
double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke.

5. Only in America . . . do banks leave
both doors open, then chain the pens to the counters.

6. Only in America . . . do we leave cars
worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk
in the garage.

7. Only in America . . . do we use
answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we
won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first
place.

8. Only in America . . . do we buy hot
dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

9. Only in America . . . do they have
drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

"Sweets, Entertainment and Good Company"
is the theme for the meeting. Entertainment will be provided by the
Pagosa Players and Kings Men, with music by Bruce Anderson and Joe
Gilbert.

Elections for two new arts council board
officers will be held at the meeting. Nominees are Susan Garman, Leon
Kelly and Doug Schultz. Look for information on the candidates and
ballots in the current edition of "The Petroglyph."

Ballots can be dropped off at the PSAC
gallery at Town Park Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
until Feb. 7. Better yet, bring ballots to the annual meeting.
Refreshments will be served and this is an event you won't want to
miss.

Whistle Pig

Whistle Pig Folk Nights is having a
Valentine's Dance Feb. 10 at the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse, beginning at
7 p.m. Jazz and rock-n-roll dance music will be provided by the "Love
Machine Band," featuring local talents D.C. Duncan, Stephen Tholberg,
Bill and Clarissa Hudson, Mark Brown, David Snyder, Sharmin Alto,
Chris Gallup and more. Teens and kids get in free and there is a $5
donation asked of adults at the door.

Pagosa Pretenders

Please note a correction from last week's
Artsline article. The Pagosa Pretenders will perform "A Space Oddity"
March 9, 10, 16 and 17 at the Pagosa Springs High School
auditorium.

Photo contest

The arts council photo contest reception
will be held Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Moonlight Books.
Photographs will be on display until Feb. 24.

Gallery goings-on

The current exhibit at the gallery is the
Artists Liquidation Sale and, boy, what a sale it is, with
unbelievably marked down prices. Be sure to stop by the gallery and
see for yourself.

Applications for anyone interested in
displaying work at the gallery can be picked up at Moonlight Books,
WolfTracks and at the gallery.

The gallery will be closed from Feb. 8 to
March 7. Anyone interested in renting the gallery during this time
should call JoAnn at 264-5020.

The gallery will reopen March 8 with a
reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The featured artist will be Amanda Taylor,
showing pastels, acrylics, oils, and animals.

Parks &
Rec

by Douglas
Call

No adult league basketball this
week

The adult basketball league is underway
with games scheduled Monday through Thursday evenings at 8:30 p.m.

No adult league games are scheduled this
week, due to junior high home games.

Three leagues are scheduled: men's
competitive and recreational, and a women's league.

Only one game per night is played because
of youth basketball. Once youth basketball is complete in March,
three games per night in each gym will be scheduled.

League action will continue until spring
break, the last week of March. Players interested in joining existing
teams and anyone wanting to help officiate or keep score should
contact the recreation office at 264-4151.

Youth basketball

The youth basketball league continues
with games played four nights per week.

Tomorrow night, the Magic will play the
Hawks, and the Bobcats will play the Bulls, at halftime of the Pagosa
Springs High School basketball game - approximately 7:30
p.m.

Youth league players wearing their team
shirts will be admitted to the game free; parents pay $2. Other youth
teams will play at halftime of the Feb. 10 high school
game.

Commission meeting

The next Park and Recreation Commission
meeting is scheduled Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

The majority of the meeting will be used
to discuss results of surveys distributed before Christmas to
determine the five-year future of the recreation department in Pagosa
Springs.

Other items on the agenda include rentals
on Reservoir Hill and an update on the adult basketball program.

All commission meetings are open to the
public and pizza is served at 6 p.m.

Ice skating

The ice skating rink at River Center Park
is open as weather permits. As the sun gets higher in the sky and
days get longer, the pond will close for the season. Please obey
posted signs.

Hockey games and practices are also
subject to change, as the rink is subject to weather changes.

Updates are available on the "Hockey
Hotline" at 264-5810. This recording is changed twice each week and
every time there is snow.

In Sync with
Isabel

by Isabel
Willis

Help in managing troubled
lives

Welcome to the first edition of "In Sync
with Isabel," provided as a service by the Archuleta County
Department of Social Services.

There are many issues emerging in our
community that affect children and their families, and at a faster
pace than previously experienced - often without any known solutions
to the problem. Each week I will tell you about a new or existing
service, special event or project, geared to help us manage our lives
a little easier.

We have all had to turn to someone for
support at some time in our life. Often we turn to family and
friends, but other times we need to find help elsewhere. Information
from "In Sync with Isabel" will provide weekly highlights of what our
local services can offer. In doing this, I hope to promote stronger
collaboration between agencies and families.

In order to work together effectively, it
is important to know what collaboration means. Community-based
collaboration refers to the process through which citizens, agencies,
organizations and businesses work together to accomplish a shared
vision. The basic goal of collaboration is to bring individuals,
agencies and organizations together in an atmosphere of support, to
solve existing and emergency problems that could not be easily solved
by one group alone.

Have you ever called an agency to ask for
help, only to be directed to call five other numbers until you
finally got the response you were looking for? If you call "In Sync
with Isabel" at 264-2182, ext. 212, I will do my best to provide you
with the right number, the first time. Part of my job is to know
about our local community agencies.

Do you want to get "In Sync?" Your
questions might also be on a lot of peoples' minds and could be a
valuable element in the "In Sync with Isabel" column. Together we can
build bridges in Pagosa Springs that lead to community
collaboration.

I become aware of resources that a
family, disabled adult, or elderly person in the community might
need. I do my best to meet all requests, but I cannot do it alone and
resources are often limited. You can help. This is your chance to
share your talents or donations. Each week I will try to list two
items I have had difficulty obtaining. Call the number listed in this
article; your donation can be accepted and a tax receipt will be
prepared for you.

Editorials

Students' concerns

The following was submitted as a letter to the editor. It
appears in this space because of its ongoing importance to our
community. It is hoped that the students' words will make an impact
on all who call Pagosa home.

Dear Community Members,

With the recent loss of a Bayfield High School student, result
of a drunk-driving accident, and the presence of 10 intoxicated local
high school students at our Winterfest dance the same weekend (Jan.
20), the Pagosa Springs Student Council felt the need to write a
letter expressing our concerns about teen drinking.

To put it bluntly, there is not enough being done to curb
underage drinking. Too many times, people turn a blind eye to this
problem, claiming that "it's going to happen no matter what anybody
does." Does this free our community from the responsibility of at
least attempting to make a difference?

More people than not know where the main parties are taking
place, and yet nothing is being done to stop them. Teenagers who go
to such parties are taking the risk of losing their lives, not
necessarily to death, but also to a prison sentence. How many parents
allow their children to attend or even host these parties, thinking
that there's nothing wrong with teens "having a little fun?" Whether
or not your child drinks, you, as parents, are condoning underage
drinking.

When all is said and done, teenagers are the ones who have to
make the ultimate decision whether to drink or not. No law
enforcement officer, parent, or teacher can make that decision for
them. But, these adults can help students to make the right choice.
It may have to be in a seemingly negative way, such as a party
getting busted, and the teens present getting punished. Or it could
be in a more positive manner, such as parents encouraging their
children from a young age not to drink. If you need motivation,
remember this: When there is a drunk driver on the road, your life is
endangered, your family's lives are endangered, and anyone else who
happens to be on the road is endangered.

No matter what, people need to get involved. Local law
enforcement, it is not hard to find parties in a small town. Please
don't ignore them. Parents of young children, begin talking with your
kids now. Let them know your opinions on and the consequences of
underage drinking. Parents of teens, know where your kids are, who
they are with, and how long they'll be there. Do not accept it when
they come home drunk. Encourage and make it possible for them to get
involved in activities that are beneficial to them. Build their
confidence so that they will be more likely to stand up to peer
pressure. And last but not least, teenagers, we need to stand up and
let our peers know that drinking, and especially drinking and
driving, is wrong. Think before you act. That's all there is to
it.

It's not that January wasn't enjoyable. Far from it. It was the
most enjoyable month I've experienced in a number of years. It seemed
like January would last forever. I'm serious, for too many years it
seemed like the first of February arrived one week after New Year's
Eve.

A week or two later it was time to go take photos of the
bucking events at the Red Ryder Roundup.

About the time I had all the dust from the rodeo arena cleaned
out of my ears, it was Labor Day weekend.

The too-soon arrival of Thanksgiving served as a reminder that
it was time to order the SUN wall calendars for the coming year.

When most folks are ready to get out and find a Christmas tree,
I'm sitting at my desk trying to find out where the year went.

Well I'm gad to report that January 2001 seemed like it would
never end. Just like the calendar has been claiming all along, there
actually were 31 individual days in January.

It would be wonderful if February slowly marches by at a
similar one-a-day pace.

If February moves slow enough, I might remember to write some
Cupid Classified ads in time for the February 5 deadline.

The SUN, thanks to the efforts and talents of Kim, Karl and
Terri, receive awards in the competition for best classified
sections, humorous column writing and advertising campaign categories
respectively.

Folks at the SUN also are looking forward to the session on
"FOI Challenges" that's scheduled for the afternoon of February 16.

The folks who made the titles for this year's seminars must
have had Pagosa Springs in mind when they connected "challenge" with
freedom of information.

During the past two years, it has been a real challenge to
swallow the county commissioners disregard for the state's open
meeting laws.

Though the commissioners evidently didn't want anyone to know
about the decisions they made behind closed doors, and failed to
mention in the minutes they subsequently approved as being accurate
and complete; the information made its way into the public sunshine
in little bits and pieces.

Had the executive session been recorded on tape, as is being
sought in a bill being sponsored by Rep. Shaw Mitchell, R-Broomfield,
(no relation); the SUN could have asked a judge to review the
recording and determine whether a violation had occurred and could
have made that portion of the tape available to the public.

This isn't to say that the commissioners were wrong to separate
the county building inspection responsibilities from the county
planning office and to promote the building inspector to building
official. This could have been done a few years ago and been easily
acceptable. But it never should have been done behind closed
doors.

Based on the eventual noncommittal statements of the
commissioners, it's hard to get a consensus of what went on behind
the closed doors. Or whether an application process played a role in
the decision making - or consensus reaching - procedure.

One thing about the latest closed-door development, it brought
closure to January and provided an interesting start for February.
Hopefully it will provide many sunny days at the many public meetings
that will occur during its 28 days.

Know you are loved and please keep us in your prayers. David

Legacies

By Shari Pierce

Tale of the missing Trelores
baby

In following with the last two week's stories from Cora
Thayer's memories, I wanted to give another point of view of winter
life in Pagosa Country. Unlike the Thayers who remained on their
ranch throughout the winter and did not venture out to town, some
others braved the weather. One of those was Welch Nossaman, who by
his recollections came to Pagosa Springs in 1876. Among other things,
he was a freighter and also had the mail contract from Del Norte to
Summitville.

The mail contract caused Nossaman to venture out into the deep
snows of the mountains on a regular basis. In his memories he tells
of going one day to Summitville and spending the night there; the
next day he would return to Del Norte.

The best I can determine is that this story took place in the
1880s when Nossaman was making one of his trips to Summitville. The
current snow storm had added two feet to the existing snow and it was
still snowing. Upon his arrival in Summitville, he was met by a group
of people who wanted to get out of the mountains before the snow was
too deep.

Nossaman agreed but decided that all must ride horses or mules
or walk; the wagons could be brought out later. Included in the group
were Mr. and Mrs. Trelores, their six- to eight-month-old baby and
their poodle.

Part way down the group arrived at a toll gate. This would be a
good place to stop for the night. They started a fire in the
fireplace. After about 20 minutes Mrs. Trelores began looking for her
baby. Here we pick up Nossaman's telling of this incredible tale.

"'Where is my baby?' I said, 'Didn't you bring it out with
you?' 'No,' she said, 'I gave it to Mr. Hoover.' I said, 'Well, I
will go and see Dan.' So I went out to the stable where Dan was
taking care of the mules. I said, 'Dan, what did you do with Mrs.
Trelore's baby?' He said, 'throwed it up in front of Joe Simmons on a
mule.' I said, 'Where is Joe?' Mrs. Trelore thinks she left it up
there to freeze. She is going wild.' Joe was down at the water hole.
I went down there and I said, 'Joe what did you do with Mrs.
Trelore's baby?' He said, 'I never brought no baby out.' I went back
and says, 'Joe says you never gave him no baby to bring out, Dan, and
he don't know anything about it.' Dan says, 'I did. I rolled it up in
bedding and throwed it up ahead of Joe on the mule.' So I went back
to Joe and said, 'Joe, what did you do with that roll of bedding?'
'Oh,' he said, 'a mule got down up here off the trail and I dumped it
off a mile or two above here. I thought we could go back and get the
bedding if we needed it, and I just left it laying there.'

"So I got on my snowshoes and struck out up the road. Joe told
me where to look for the roll of bedding. I went there and found the
roll of bedding and there was the baby, dry and not crying or
anything, and I brought it on down. You never saw so tickled a woman
in your life."

25 years ago

Taken from SUN files

of Jan. 22, 1976

Charter air service
opened

Taken from SUN files

of Jan. 29, 1976

Tom Broadbent has announced that charter air service is now
available in the community. His company, Pagosa Springs Aviation
Inc., has a Cessna 182 plane available for flights to anywhere within
the United States. Broadbent, a commercial licensed pilot, is also a
licensed instructor, both fixed wing and helicopter.

C.W. McCall, of "Wolf Creek Pass" song fame and frequent
visitor to southwestern Colorado, has been invited to visit Pagosa
Springs and ski at Wolf Creek Pass. McCall and his wife were
presented complimentary season passes by Glen Edmonds, president of
the Wolf Creek Ski Area. The presentation was made during the Club 20
banquet in Grand Junction Saturday.

One of the larger real estate transactions in recent years was
recorded at the county clerk's office last week. The transaction
involved about 3,000 acres in the Dyke area. Buyers were listed as
Keyah-Grande.

Fred Schmeir has been appointed as the new welfare director for
Archuleta County. Having worked as a caseworker in the local
department for the past two years, Schmeir took over his new duties
Monday.

Features

Pacing
Pagosa

By Richard Walter

Snow jobs slow Pagosaland's
tempo

Some times the pace of pacing can be
slowed to a crawl.

So it was Thursday morning.

I knew light snow had been predicted
overnight and was fully prepared to use my worn down broom to sweep
the "light" away.

Imagine my surprise when I went out the
front door and found five inches of "light" awaiting me, more falling
profusely, and realized that obviously was too much for the broom to
handle.

The trusty old coal shovel - which morphs
into a snow shovel at times like this - was standing there all primed
for use. In a flash I had the sidewalk to the car shoveled. I cleaned
off the car and then shoveled my way back to the house through the
inch of new snow which had fallen since I went outside.

No problem, right?

I got the two containers of bird seed for
the back yard feeder and then realized I'd have to shovel a path to
it, too.

For 30 feet it was easy. Then, for some
reason, I found myself against an ice wall. "Whoa!" I thought,
"where'd that come from?"

A little cursory examination provided the
obvious answer. The warm temperatures of Wednesday afternoon had
finally freed the snow from my multilevels of east side roof and it
had all come tumbling down.

Hearty mountaineer that I am, I was
undaunted by the challenge - but soon found I was unable to break
through the ice wall with the shovel. Then I realized my best bet was
to whiff the snow off the top and use the now elevated yard level as
a winter deck to cross to the back yard.

Worked like a charm. However, on reaching
the bird feeder, I found the same five inches of snow had turned it
into a giant frozen snowball swinging in the wind. And a small
gathering of winter songbirds perched in snowy branches of a nearby
lilac loudly chastised me because their "free" breakfast was
inaccessible.

So I cleaned off the snow, broke the ice
out of the feeder holes, filled the tray and replenished the interior
supply so they'd get their daily ration. And what did I get for
thanks? A swooping crow squawking to me and the smaller birds that
the food just delivered was for him and the flightmates he'd left
swinging on power lines visible in the nearby alley.

"No," I shouted. "This food is for the
little guys!"

I supposed I heard a round of chirping
(read that applause) from the denuded lilac branches as the crow gave
a disgusted "Squawk!" and headed back to the alley.

I was nearly late for work by that time,
but I warned the black marauder not to come back until the awaiting
flight of smaller birds had had their fill.

Now, I was ready to leave.

But Mother Nature had other ideas. In the
time since I'd shoveled the walk and cleaned off the car, the snow
had literally covered it again. I cleaned it off one more time and
finally was ready to leave - just as the town's snowplow came by
heading east.

"If I wait until he comes back the other
way," I thought to myself, "I won't be able to get out of here until
I shovel again."

So I quickened the pace, blasted out of
the snow into the street and headed west toward downtown. Mission
accomplished. I got to work on time. When I went home for lunch,
however, my earlier hunch was proven correct. I had to shovel my way
off the street and into my parking area.

Later I learned the crows didn't come
back until nearly an hour after I left in the morning, squawking
important messages in all directions. The six or 10 which had been
perched on power lines had become 20 or more gathered on the ground
under the feeder. The pace of the morning had moved inexorably toward
chow time for them, no matter how much I dislike the fact they
consume so much free seed.

The storm wasn't as bad as some of the
ones which have - and will - hit Pagosaland, but it proved that when
it comes to pace of life in terms of Pagosatime, Mother Nature is a
controlling factor and we all need to set our stride to her
beat.

For old journalists, snow has always been
a news peg. Whether too much or too little, it seems to have a
preordained spot in the headline lexicon. It's one of those things
like famine and pestilence which just seems to have a reserved spot
in the news columns.

We print predictions of how much we'll
get and when and where it will fall. When we're wrong, we blame the
weather man, not the capricious whims of an embittered Mother Nature.
When the forecast hits right on the button, we gloatingly report that
"We told you so!"

Driving in the snow itself is not the
problem that some would have you believe. Often, you make your own
tracks onto the more heavily traveled routes. It is there the
problems arise. Surfaces scraped nearly clean by snowplows, aided in
their task by snow-melting chemicals, can freeze more quickly when
the snow begins to melt.

The moral: When driving - or walking - in
Pagosa Country, be prepared for the worst and enjoy the best. If you
do, your pace will meld easily into the one best suited for your
chosen tasks.

And that is what life in Pagosa Country
is all about: Challenge, accomplishment, satisfaction and then, a new
challenge at a pace you can master in a climate most only dream about
and surrounded by endless beauty, no matter what the
season.

It was, after all, just another day in
God's Country and the pace of life should be adaptable to whatever He
provides.

Just to warm you up a little, I came
across the following item on the front page of the SUN edition of
Jan. 4, 1946. It reads, in part:

"Mrs. Harry Speelman informs The Sun this
week that on Jan. 2, 1919, the thermometer at the electric light
plant registered 57 degrees below zero at 8:00 o'clock in the
morning. Mr. Speelman was employed on a logging project at the time
and says they were forced to stop work on that date as the horses
would not stand still and were uncontrollable. We'd say 57 below was
quite frosty."

Yep, we could have it a lot
worse.

Old Timers

By John Motter

1916: Mill closes, bank fails,
pass opens

The Pagosa Lumber Company's steam whistle
at the big mill south of town sounded reveille for the last time in
August of 1916. The shrill tones signaled the end of one era and the
beginning of a new one for Pagosa Country.

When the Pagosa & Northern's narrow
gauge trains first chugged into Pagosa Springs in 1900, the iron
horse brought a level of prosperity unmatched to that time in Pagosa
Country. Town and county populations more than tripled during the
next few years. New business doors opened all over town, including
The First Bank of Pagosa Springs.

Greed accompanied prosperity. The First
Bank of Pagosa Springs went broke amid local charges of corruption.
Several local men, pillars of the community all, visited Denver at
the request of a grand jury. While there they talked to the jury
about their activities in connection with timber homestead filings in
Archuleta County. And ultimately, in 1916, the Pagosa Lumber Co. shut
down the 'biggest mill in Colorado.'

Starting with the departure of the Pagosa
Lumber Co., Pagosa Country's economy slipped into a torpor that did
not lift until the current land development boom started in the
1970s.

What happened to the First Bank of Pagosa
Springs, anyway? Bank closings weren't that unusual in the days
before the Feds intervened. On Jan. 11, 1907, everything about the
bank appeared rosy when the Pagosa Springs New Era reported, "The
statement just published of the condition of the Colorado State Bank,
of which the First Bank of Pagosa Springs is a branch, shows the most
prosperous condition in its history and that only two state banks in
Colorado have a larger volume of business."

By December 13 the same year, the New Era
reported: "The Colorado State Bank of Durango closes its doors and
the First Bank of Pagosa, a branch, is forced to suspend operations.
President B.N. Freeman reassured that assets after shrinkage are
ample to pay all and $40,000 left over. Expect to reorganize
soon."

Day guessed that deposits in the local
bank ranged from $50,000 to $90,000. The bank had a capital of
$75,000 and a surplus of about $15,000 and would be solvent if it
could collect all of its loans.

"The First Bank of Pagosa Springs under
the management of Elias Hampton was in model condition and had it
been a separate institution it would not have hit the ceiling," Day
pronounced. "The investigation of securities shows there was not
enough bad loans to embarrass a much smaller business and if the
depositors fail to get dollar for dollar it will be because the main
office failed badly."

Just weeks after publishing an article
extolling the virtues of the Pagosa Lumber Co., The Pagosa Journal
published another article March 23, 1916, saying: "it has been
semi-officially announced that the Pagosa Lumber Company's mill will
be moved from this place during the coming summer.

"Although there is plenty of pine
remaining in Archuleta County it is not in large accessible bodies
and sawmilling in this section will hereafter be done by smaller
mills. However, the big company is not moving its big mill because
timber is scarce, but because it must get to sawing the government
timber it purchased several years ago on the Apache reservation. The
mill will be located at Dulce."

Subsequent newspapers described events
connected with the mill's closing, such as "Luke Rock, who is a
finished violinist, will also leave Pagosa. The music loving public
of Pagosa will regret losing Prof. Rock." Rock had been sawyer at the
mill.

And on Aug. 3, 1916, we read: "The mill
whistle blowing for five minutes at a quarter to eleven this morning
(Friday) acquainted all who heard it that the Pagosa Lumber Co. had
sawed the last log at South Pagosa and that big mill was saying
good-bye to Archuleta County. The work of dismantling the plant for
its removal to Dulce will begin at once. It is expected that the new
mill will be in operation December 1."

The end of an era for Pagosa Springs. And
the beginning for Dulce. This new mill would be the first revenue
producing enterprise other than a few sheep and cattle for Jicarilla
Apache people struggling to survive.

In the next paragraph, editor Chas. Day
wrote: "A number of cars came over the range (Wolf Creek Pass) last
Sunday over the new road, but as there has been so much rain since,
the cars coming and going over this route have been few. It is agreed
that when the road is settled and dry it will be a pleasure to drive
over."

Another beginning: Wolf Creek Pass opened
in 1916 connecting Pagosa Country with the rest of the world by
highway. Cars and trucks were coming into their own. Draft horses
were about to qualify for unemployment checks and the Iron Horse was
on its way out, at least in Pagosa Country.

Sign of the times when the horse and auto
cultures overlapped: "Yesterday a four-horse team hitched to a wagon
loaded with hay, grain, and groceries standing in front of Laughlin's
store became scared at a passing auto and before the driver could
gather up and tighten the reins plunged over the high bank on the
opposite side of the street. The wagon was over turned and broke in
three places and the load, including a case of now scrambled eggs,
scattered along the foot of the hill. The horses were unhurt. The
outfit belonged to Harvey Hill, but a hired hand held the reins at
the time of the accident." Laughlin's store was located on Pagosa
Street in the center of the main business block.

Despite their traumatic impact on equine
transporters, cars had reached Pagosa Country to stay. The "Electric
Garage and Machine Shop," located opposite the Arlington Hotel and
managed by L. Hanson offered day and night service, heavy and light
machine work done by expert machinist, expert oxygen-acetylene
welding, tire vulcanizing and repairing, and improved methods in
battery repairing and recharging. No mention of oats, hay, and
overnight boarding.

Hortense Lowenstein - she was Bob
Goodman's grandmother - "baptized her new car by making a trip last
Saturday to Durango, doing the driving herself."

And, Jesse Majors and Alf Mees have
joined the auto owners brigade, the former having purchased the
7-passenger Reo formerly owned by La Plata County and the latter
having purchased the Ford offered for sale in these columns by Judge
Morgan.

Legal aspects of the case were not
explained in the article, but the following statement provides a
clue: "The law of the land does not make it a crime for a qualified
person to purchase a timber claim of the government. Neither does the
purchaser of a timber claim from the government commit a crime either
in law or in morals by selling the land or timber or both to some
other purchaser. "

Translated, we suspect persons purchased
timber claims from the government at the legal rate of $3.50 an acre.
Money for the purchase was borrowed. The timber was then sold to the
large mill owners, in this instance Sullenberger, Biggs, McPhee, and
McGinnity. It would not be far-fetched to imagine that the loan money
originated with the ultimate owners. In any case, the issue ended
without the indictment of any of the Pagosa men.

By the end of 1916, Pagosa Country had
passed through one of the pivotal transition points common to the
history of any locality. The pioneering era was dead, really dead.
The horse and buggy days were gone, superseded by the auto and
facilitated by the opening of Wolf Creek Pass. The big lumber mills
were gone. The narrow gauge continued to puff and snort into town for
another 20 years, but it was a losing proposition
financially.

Pagosa's economy reverted to the twin
pillars of its beginnings - cattle, tourism, small lumber mills, and
subsistence farming by a rural population.